Average Cost of Car Insurance for 18-Year-Olds (2025)
The average cost of full coverage car insurance for 18-year-olds is $530 per month. Minimum coverage costs an average of $223 per month.
State Farm is the cheapest major car insurance company for 18-year-olds.
Midsize companies — like Erie, NJM, Farm Bureau, Auto-Owners and Shelter — typically have even cheaper rates. However, they're not an option in many states.
Find Cheap 18-year-old Auto Insurance Quotes
How much is insurance for an 18-year-old?
Full coverage car insurance for an 18-year-old driver on their own policy costs an average of $530 per month.
The cheapest major car insurance company for 18-year-old drivers is State Farm, at $381 per month for full coverage.
Regional companies like Erie, NJM, Farm Bureau and Auto-Owners tend to offer very affordable rates for 18-year-olds. But they're not available in every state.
Full coverage
Minimum coverage
Full coverage
Minimum coverage
Find Cheap 18-year-old Auto Insurance Quotes
There's a difference of $735 per month between the cheapest company for full coverage, Erie, and the most expensive, Farmers. That's why you should always compare insurance quotes to find the best rates for you.
Cheap full coverage car insurance for 18-year-old drivers
How do car insurance rates for 18-year-olds compare to other ages?
An 18-year-old driver can expect to pay less for car insurance than younger, less experienced drivers.
However, drivers under the age of 25 tend to have high insurance rates. That's because they're more likely to make mistakes and cause accidents. As you get older and have more driving experience under your belt, your insurance rates should start to drop.
Do car insurance rates go down at age 18?
On average, 18-year-old drivers pay 13% less for car insurance than 17-year-olds. At 18 years old, you have more driving experience than newly licensed 16- and 17-year-olds. Your rates reflect that.
New drivers are an exception to this rule. If you're a new driver at 18 years old, you'll likely pay more than a driver who got their license at age 16 and has two years of driving experience.
Average car insurance cost for 18-year-old male vs. female drivers
The average car insurance cost for an 18-year-old male is 10% more expensive than car insurance for an 18-year-old female. For 18-year-olds, men pay $557 per month for full coverage, while women pay $508.
Monthly full coverage car insurance rates by gender
Age | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | $557 | $508 |
| 19 | $407 | $373 |
| 20 | $367 | $338 |
However, some states don't allow insurance companies to use gender to determine car insurance rates.
- California
- Hawaii
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- North Carolina
- Pennsylvania
Men and women in these locations should pay the same price for auto insurance coverage, all else being equal.
Cheapest car insurance for 18-year-olds by state
The cheapest major company, State Farm, has the least expensive full coverage insurance for 18-year-olds in 16 states.
But, the cheapest company nationally may not be the most affordable option in your state. Farm Bureau is the most affordable company in eight states. Geico and Erie have the best rates in seven and six states, respectively.
Where you live also has a big effect on how much you pay for car insurance. Hawaii is the cheapest state for an 18-year-old to get car insurance, at $131 per month for a full coverage policy. Rhode Island is the most expensive state, at $940 per month. This is different from the cheapest and most expensive states for older drivers, which are Maine and Nevada, respectively.
Monthly car insurance quotes for 18-year-olds
Full coverage
Minimum liability coverage
State | State avg. | Cheapest rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $601 | State Farm | $297 |
| Alaska | $407 | Geico | $318 |
| Arizona | $691 | State Farm | $418 |
| Arkansas | $586 | Farm Bureau | $267 |
| California | $404 | State Farm | $311 |
Full coverage
State | State avg. | Cheapest rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $601 | State Farm | $297 |
| Alaska | $407 | Geico | $318 |
| Arizona | $691 | State Farm | $418 |
| Arkansas | $586 | Farm Bureau | $267 |
| California | $404 | State Farm | $311 |
Minimum liability coverage
State | State avg. | Cheapest rate | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $243 | State Farm | $124 |
| Alaska | $144 | Allstate | $105 |
| Arizona | $299 | State Farm | $204 |
| Arkansas | $210 | Alfa | $89 |
| California | $154 | State Farm | $114 |
Can an 18-year-old get their own car insurance?
An 18-year-old can buy their own car insurance policy.
However, you should share a policy with your parents if possible. It's usually much cheaper than having your own separate policy.
Parents typically see their rates go up when they add a teen driver to their policy. They can help offset the increased cost by asking for discounts aimed at teens. For example, you could get a good student discount if your teen has a minimum 3.0 GPA.
How to get cheap auto insurance for 18-year-olds
Besides staying on your parents' policy, the best way to get cheap auto insurance quotes is to shop around. Prices can differ by thousands of dollars per year depending on the company. So it's helpful to compare car insurance quotes from multiple insurance companies.
There are a number of other ways 18-year-olds can get cheap car insurance, including:
Look for discounts. Insurance companies offer many discounts to help you save money.
High school or college students can get a good student discount on car insurance if they have good grades. Insurance companies usually give a discount if you have a B average or 3.0 GPA, or better.
College students who leave their cars at their parents' home during the academic year can often get an away-from-home student discount. This discount is typically available if you attend a university more than 100 miles away from home. You may also qualify for a low-mileage discount.
If you don't live with your parents, you can save on your auto insurance policy by bundling it with your renters or homeowners insurance.
Drive an affordable car. Expensive cars cost more to repair, which means they also cost more to insure. In addition, safer cars like SUVs and sedans are usually cheaper to insure than sports cars.
Increase your deductible. Another way to lower your insurance rate is to choose a higher deductible. However, this means you'll pay more after an accident. So it's important to choose a deductible you can easily afford in an emergency.
Sign up for a safe driver program. By sharing your driving data with your auto insurance company, you can prove you're a safe driver worthy of cheaper rates. Companies track your driving using a plug-in tracking device or app.
Usage-based auto insurance lets you earn big discounts if you practice safe driving habits, like staying under the speed limit. Some programs will raise your rates if you have bad driving habits, though.
Lower your coverage limits. It's a good idea for 18-year-old drivers to buy a full coverage policy. Young drivers are more likely to get into an accident, and full coverage insurance helps pay for damage to your own car.
However, a minimum coverage policy costs much less. Minimum coverage might work for you if you have a car that's more than 8 years old or worth less than $5,000.
Frequently asked questions
How much is insurance for an 18-year-old per month?
An 18-year-old can expect to pay an average of $530 per month for full coverage car insurance. Minimum coverage costs around $223 per month. However, rates vary significantly based on where you live and the insurance company you choose.
Can an 18-year-old get car insurance on their own?
Yes, 18-year-olds can get car insurance policies on their own. However, you could pay much less if you share a policy with your parents.
Is insurance cheaper when you turn 18?
An 18-year-old driver can expect to pay around 13% less for car insurance than a 17-year-old. Rates are usually cheaper for 18-year-olds because they have more experience behind the wheel than younger drivers. However, a newly licensed 18-year-old will pay more for car insurance than someone who has been driving since they turned 16.
Is it cheaper to be on your parents' car insurance?
Yes, it is cheaper for teen drivers to share car insurance with their parents. On average, 18-year-old drivers can save 62% per month on full coverage insurance by having a joint family policy.
Who has the cheapest car insurance for 18-year-olds?
Erie has the cheapest full coverage rate for 18-year-old drivers, at $259 per month. However, it's only available in 12 states and Washington, D.C. State Farm has the best widely available rate, at $381 per month for full coverage.
However, the cheapest company for you may be different depending on where you live.
Methodology
To find the average cost of car insurance for an 18-year-old, ValuePenguin collected quotes for ZIP codes across all 50 states in the U.S. Rates are for an 18-year-old single man with a clean driving record and good credit who owns a 2015 Honda Civic.
Full coverage quotes include higher liability limits than each state requires, along with comprehensive and collision coverage.
- Bodily injury liability: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist bodily injury: $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident
- Comprehensive and collision: $500 deductible
- Personal injury protection (PIP): Minimum, when required by state
National averages include insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. Rates were publicly sourced from insurance company filings and should only be used for comparative purposes. Your own quotes may differ from our averages.
To determine the rates for each age group and gender, our editors collected quotes for thousands of ZIP codes across 4 of the most populous states in the country.
To find the average cost of adding an 18-year-old to a parent’s policy, VeluePenguin gathered full coverage quotes from thousands of ZIP codes across Illinois, Pennsylvania and Georgia. Quotes are for a 50-year-old with an 18-year-old on their policy.
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.